Phalaenopsis plant named &#39;osiris&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Phalaenopsis orchid named ‘Osiris’ characterized by broad elliptic leaves; brown stem; showy light purple flowers with dark purple stripes and white margins; dull, green leaves with silvery glance and purple spots; and freely flowering with 10-15 flowers and buds per raceme.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar of Phalaenopsis orchid, hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name ‘Osiris’. The genus Phalaenopsis is a member of the family Orchidaceae.

[0002] Phalaenopsis comprises a genus of about 55 species of herbaceous perennials many of which, or the hybrids thereof, are suitable for cultivation in the home or greenhouse. Phalaenopsis is predominantly epiphytic or rock-dwelling, and is native to tropical Asia, Malay Archipelago and Oceania. The species typically has 2-ranked, fleshy, oblong or elliptic leaves affixed to a short central stem (monopodial growth), which vary in size from 5 to 8 inches to over 2 feet. The leaves may be entirely green or mottled with silver grey.

[0003] Phalaenopsis orchids, often referred to as ‘Moth Orchids’ in the horticultural trade, are frequently used to furnish cut flowers for the florist trade or sold as flowering potted-plants for home or interior scape.

[0004] Phalaenopsis produces upright or pendent lateral racemes, often with many showy flowers which open in succession beginning with the lowermost. The flowers possess three sepals and three petals; the lateral ones being alike. The lowermost petal, called the labellum, is three-lobed and is often more brightly-colored than the other flower segments.

[0005] Phalaenopsis orchids are typically propagated from seeds. Asexual propagation of Phalaenopsis is often done from off-shoots which frequently arise from the lower bracts of the inflorescence. The resulting plants are detached from the mother plant and may be planted in a suitable substrate.

[0006] The new cultivar is a product of a breeding program carried out by the inventor, Ronie van Rijsselberghe. The new cultivar is a result of a cross of two unnamed non-commercial varieties owned by the applicant made in September 1993. The new cultivar ‘Osiris’ was selected from the progeny of the stated cross in Lochristi by the inventor in March 1996.

[0007] Asexual propagation by tissue culture, performed by the inventor in Lochristi, Belgium in March 1996, was used to increase the number of plants for evaluation and has demonstrated that the combination of characteristics as here in disclosed for ‘Osiris’ are firmly fixed and are retained through successive generations of asexual reproduction.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] The following traits have been repeatedly observed to be characteristics which in combination distinguish ‘Osiris’ from generally available seedling-derived Phalaenopsis common in commercial cultivation:

[0009] 1. broad elliptic leaves;

[0010] 2. brown stem;

[0011] 3. showy light purple flowers with dark purple stripes and white margins;

[0012] 4. dull, green leaves with silvery glance and purple spots; and

[0013] 5. freely flowering with 10-15 flowers and buds per raceme.

[0014] ‘Osiris’ has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary significantly with variations in environment such as temperature, light intensity, fertilization and day length without any change in the genotype. The following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown in Lochristi, Belgium under a glass covered greenhouse in a 12 cm container under conditions which approximate commercial Phalaenopsis production conditions. Plants were grown for about 45 weeks after planting. During the first 25 weeks of production, day and night temperatures averaged 25 degrees Celsius; during the next four weeks of production, day and night temperatures averaged 18 degrees Celsius; and for the last weeks of production, day and night temperatures averaged 20 degrees Celsius. Lowest temperature tolerance is 15 degrees Celsius, highest is 38 degrees Celsius.

[0015] Perhaps the closest commercial comparison to ‘Osiris’ can be made to ‘Artemis’ (U.S. plant patent application Ser. No. 09/797,254). In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Rijswijk, The Netherlands, plants of the new Phalaenopsis have wider leaves. The leaves have a midrib which has the same color as the rest of the leaf whereas the midrib of ‘Artemis’ is dark purple. The leaves of ‘Artemis’ are glossy green whereas the leaves of ‘Osiris’ are green, dull with a silvery glance. The underside of the leaf of ‘Artemis’ is green with purple spots and a purple margin and midrib whereas the leaf of ‘Osiris’ is green with a smaller purple margin. The inflorescence stem of ‘Artemis’ is darker than the inflorescence stem of ‘Osiris’. The flowers of ‘Artemis’ are much darker purple than the flowers of ‘Osiris’ which also have white margins. The petals of ‘Artemis’ are much lighter purple than the petals of ‘Osiris’. ‘Artemis’ has a much shorter stem and starts producing flowers much lower on the stem (approximately 10 cm) than ‘Osiris’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

[0016] The accompany photographic illustrations show typical plant and flower characteristics of ‘Osiris’ with colors being as true as possible with illustrations of this type. The photographs were taken approximately noon on Dec. 28, 2001 in Rijswijk, The Netherlands grown under appropriate growing conditions.

[0017] The first drawing shows a 50-week old plant on the left and a close up of the inflorescence to the right.

[0018] The second drawing shows a comparison photo of a 50-month old plant of ‘Osiris’ to the right and the cultivar ‘Artemis’ to the left. The photo in the right upper corner shows a close-up comparison of ‘Artemis (right) and ‘Osiris’ (left). The photo in the right lower corner shows a close-up of the leaves (‘Osiris’ upper and ‘Artemis’ lower).

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

[0019] All color references are measured against The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Colour Chart. Colors are approximate as color depends on horticultural practices such as light level and fertilization rate, among others, without, however any change in genotype.

[0020] Botanical Classification: Phalaenopsis

[0021]Commercial.—Phalaenopsis c.v. ‘Osiris’.

[0022] Propagation: Asexual propagation by tissue culture

[0023] Plant: Under appropriate growing conditions, plants attain a mature size of 60 cm in height and 40 cm in width.

[0024]Vigor.—Moderate.

[0025] Leaves:

[0026]Form.—The leaf blade is shaped obovate with an obtuse to abruptly acute apex and a cuneate base. The margins are entire. The midrib is furrowed. The leaf blade is smooth and leathery on both sides. The upper leaf surface is smooth, slightly furrowed and leathery. The leaves are smooth and very leathery.

[0027]Size.—Leaf blades of a mature-sized plant are 19 cm (average) in length and 6.8 cm (average) in width.

[0028]Veins.—Venation parallel, midrib furrowed, veins upper side green; in between RHS 139A and RHS 147A (Yellow-green Group), but darker; under side yellow-green; RHS 146A.

[0029]Color.—Mature Leaf Upper surface: Green to yellow-green; from RHS 139A to RHS 146A, irregularly dotted and splashed greyed-green; RHS 191A. Mature Leaf Lower surface: Yellow-green; varying between RHS 146A and RHS 146B Immature Leaf Upper surface: Green to yellow-green; from RHS 139A to RHS 146A, irregularly dotted and splashed greyed-green; RHS 191A. The greyed-green parts are covering a smaller percentage of the leaf blade as in mature leaves. Immature Leaf Upper surface: Yellow-green; varying between RHS 146A and RHS 146B.

[0030] Inflorescence:

[0031]Number of flowers per inflorescence.—Average 12.

[0032]Blooming season.—January through March in Northern Europe.

[0033]Lastingness of blooms.—Longer than two weeks.

[0034]Blooms subject to fading.—Average 14 days.

[0035]Sepals.—Shape: Broad elliptic Description: Sepals smooth, top obtuse, base broad cuneate, margins entire. Upper Surface Color: Purple; RHS N80C, lighter towards the margins; RHS N80D. Markings (venation) darker: purple; varying between RHS N78A and RHS N78B. Lateral sepals have numerous dots at the base, average size 0.5 mm, purple in color, RHS N79C. Lower Surface Color: Purple, varying between RHS 76B and RHS 76C, with green-white tints; varying between RHS 157A and RHS 157B. Lighter towards the margins. Markings (venation) only slightly darker: purple, RHS 76A. Size: Average length 4.3 cm, average width 3 cm.

[0036]Petals.—Shape: 2 lateral petals reniform Description: 2 lateral petals are smooth, top rounded, base broad acuminate. Upper Surface Color: Purple, RHS N80C, lighter towards the margins, RHS N80D; base darker; RHS N80B. Markings (venation) darker, purple, varying between RHS N78A and RHS N78B. Lower Surface Color: Purple, varying between RHS 76C and RHS 76D Size: (lateral petals) average length 4.1 cm, average width 4.8 cm.

[0037]Labellum.—Shape: Three-parted (lobed) Description: Lateral lobes rhomboidal/deltoid, top obtuse, dorsal lobe inverted deltoid, with two deltoid side-lobes; 7 mm long and 9 mm wide. Top cleft into two horn-like projections, which are twisted and curled. In between the to projections is a small deltoid lobe of 2 mm long and 3 mm wide. In the middle of the labellum (upper side), where the lobes meet, there is a small elevation, average height 5 mm, average width 5.5 mm, this elevation is cleft and almost two-parted. It is yellow in color, RHS 9A with greyed-purple dots and stripes (RHS 187B) Upper Surface Color: Purple, from RHS 71B to RHS 72A, lateral lobes have a white base; RHS 155A, striped greyed-purple; from RHS 184A to RHS 185A. Lower Surface Color: White, RHS 155C, edged purple; RHS 176A to red-purple; varying between RHS 61A and RHS 61B. Size: Lateral lobes: Average length 2.3 cm, average width 1.5 cm, dorsal lobe: average length 2.4 cm, average width 3.2 cm, the horn-like projections have an average length of 0.9 cm (bent upwards).

[0038]Apex.—Lateral lobes: obtuse, dorsal lobe cleft into two horn-like projections with a small deltoid lobe in between.

[0039]Base.—Lateral lobes cuneate, dorsal lobe acute.

[0040]Raceme.—Diameter: Average: 11 cm. Height: Average 25 cm (measured from lowest flower) Description (i.e. of branches with amount of flower buds): Flowering stem rounded, smooth and with a dull appearance. On the stems are several (on average 6) sheating leafy stipules, shaped broad deltoid, average length 6 mm, average width 16 mm, yellow-green in color, RHS 148A. Average number of flowers and flower buds per stem: 16. Color: Blackish greyed-green, much darker than RHS N189A, speckled greyed-green; RHS 189A.

[0041] Reproductive Organs: Column club-shaped, all reproductive organs are united in the column

[0042]Column.—Length: Average 9 mm Width: Average 6 mm Color: Purple, RHS N80B.

[0043]Pollen.—Pollen united in two stalked pollinia (pollen masses), pollinia shaped globular, average diameter 1 mm, orange; RHS 24A.

[0044]Stigma.—Two stigmatic surfaces on top of the column, stigmas not stalked and unable to define as separate reproductive organs, but part of the column. Shape: The stigmatic surfaces are rounded, slightly convex Dimension: Average diameter 2 mm, average height 0.5 mm Color: White, RHS 155A.

[0045]Styles.—No styles, the column holds both pollen and stigmas (stigmatic surfaces) Shape: No styles, the column holds both pollen and stigmas (stigmatic surfaces) Dimension: No styles, the column holds both pollen and stigmas (stigmatic surfaces). Color: No styles, the column holds both pollen and stigmas (stigmatic surfaces).

[0046]Ovary.—Dimension: Average length 4 mm, average width 2.5 mm Color: White, RHS 155A, flushed pink to greenish-white; RHS 157B.

[0047]Pedicel.—Rounded, slightly glossy Dimension: Average length 3 cm, average width 3 mm Color: Yellow-green, varying between RHS 144A and RHS 144B.

[0048] Roots: Fleshy, rounded, slightly glossy, average diameter 5 mm, green; from RHS 138A to RHS 143A.

[0049] Pest Disease Resistance/Susceptibility: No observation to date

[0050] General Observations: Broad elliptic leaves; brown stem; showy light purple flowers with dark purple stripes and white margins; dull, green leaves with silvery glance and purple spots; and freely flowering with 10-15 flowers and buds per raceme. 

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Phalaenopsis orchid named ‘Osiris’, as illustrated and described. 